I am desperately trying to keep the collagraph layers and prints I previously did on greaseproof paper glued together, but it’s not working terribly well. I can see myself becoming an excellent reference for the manufacturer, proving that these sheets really are nonstick!!
I need a sufficient number of good prints to present for the course. If my greaseproof paper ones won’t combine long-term I’ve got a problem and, at this stage, my confidence in them is low. Damned shame because they are quite lovely.
OK, what to do now?
Yesterday I chose this natural dyed piece of paper to work from. It’s 250gsm BFK Reeves (from memory) that has been in a bottlebrush leaf & twig dye pot with copper sulphate.
The sheets of paper were compressed between wooden blocks with plant material and resists inserted between pages. The whole thing was then boiled for around an hour before the ‘parcel’ was untied, paper rinsed and left to dry.
This piece is just under A4 size and has a design which I’m hopeful will work well with my gecko wall block.
I scanned it into the computer, resized the image and played with the fill (opacity essentially) until I achieved a fainter image but still easily visible. I kept in mind that it is to be printed on tissue paper and that will also reduce the colour strength.
Left: The scanned image in Photoshop at 80% opacity. Right: Extra lightweight white Kozo paper was taped to A3 printer paper (used as a carrier). This was then fed through the printer on a slow setting. The ink has diffused across the fine surface beautifully and as the intensity of the image has reduced so has the brown and I now have a green tinge throughout. Very happy with that.
The image was then trimmed to size and transferred to Gyokuryu paper, using my non-inked monoprint block to place it, ready for further chine collé and print layers.
I’ve used a bold chine collé print as the initial layer because I’m masking the gecko in these experiments and this print will be prominent and an integral part of the design, rather than an indistinct addition to the whole. The monoprint will be concentrated around the edging and under the bricks and leaves. Coloured papers will be used as chine collé in the brick and foliage sections as well.
The monoprint colour scheme I’ve chosen to surround the base layer plant image and within the brick areas is:
The finished prints:
Left: The Japanese tissue used for the brick section chine collé is wonderful and the colours from the monoprint below have enhanced the variegated appearance of it. Unfortunately the lino print on the grey-green foliage seems blurred. Nothing shifted so I wonder if I applied too much glue and this caused the paper to stretch slightly and distort the print.
Right: The chine collé paper used in this print is incredibly fine, slightly furry and textural. I’m sure it has some special name, but I don’t know it.
More of the yellow and less of the blue/grey ink was applied to the initial monoprint to enhance the sandy colour once the tissue had been added.
Both these pieces had additional black ink lightly brushed across some of the carved lino sections so there would be more surface design on the bricks. Overall I’m reasonably happy with them and they have a completely different focus than the prints with the gecko.
As a general comment on my work for this project my view is that the best part of all the prints I’ve produced is the brickwork. These sections have been extremely successful.
I’m also very pleased that by using a high viscosity ultra-tacky glue I have managed to repair my greaseproof paper based prints where the layers had started to lift slightly. Fingers crossed they will remain intact now.
TactualTextiles 